The embodiments described herein relate to an image processing method and apparatus, and particularly to a method and apparatus for processing chest X-ray images photographed by an X-ray imaging apparatus.
As a type of X-ray imaging apparatus, there is known a Digital Radiography (DR) apparatus. Since each X-ray image photographed by the DR apparatus is suitable for digital image processing, it is practiced to obtain information useful in image reading and diagnosis through an image analyzing process (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 7(1995)-194583 (paragraph numbers 0011-0012 and FIG. 1)).
Since the number of target images is large when screening is done by chest X-ray images photographed by the DR apparatus, a large amount of doctor's labor is required for image reading and diagnosis. Therefore, there is a demand for execution of screening as efficient as possible. However, the image analyzing process has no effect on an efficiency improvement in screening.
It is desirable that the problem described previously is solved.